Bed-bottom.



No. 643,208. Patented Feb. l3, I900.

R. SCHMIDT.

BED BOTTOM.

'App lication filed Aug. 23, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets8heet I.

THE NonR|s PEYEHS (20., Prime-Luna, WASHLNGTOH, u. c.

No.643,208. I Patented Feb. |3,"I9'oo.

B. SCHMIDT.

BED BOTTOM.

(Application me; Aug. 23, 1599.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ///////////4 '&\\\\\\\\\ nirrn RICHARD SCHMIDT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BED-BOTTOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,208, dated February 13, 1900.

Application filed August 23,1899. Serial No. 728,247. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD SCHMIDT, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, (but having declared my intention of becoming a citizen of the United States of America,) residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bed-Bottoms,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to bed-bottoms in which woven straps are mounted over supports and held under desirable tension by springs; and the objects of myinvention are, first, to provide a durable, light, and airy bed-bottom which may be readily attached, detached, and adjusted to a bedstead proper; second, to so construct the said bed-bottom that an additional mattress is rendered useless and sagging of any portion of the said bottom is prevented, and, thirdly, to provide means by which a bolster or head-rest is formed. I attain these objects by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of an iron bedstead with my improved bed-bottom applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a top View of the said bedstead with the improved bottom. Fig. 3 shows in section the head and foot pieces of a bedstead with brackets attached thereto for holding the bed-bottomin place. Fig. 4showsin perspectivea clamp forsecuring the brackets to the bedstead-posts. Fig. 5 is a detail View showing the connection-rod between the two brackets at the foot-piece of a bedstead and over which the bed-bottom is held; and Fig. 6 shows the connection rod between the brackets at the head-piece and having apthe foot end of the bedstead are attached to the two posts a the brackets 01 by means of the clamps cl and the dowels d fitting into the longitudinals b, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4. These two brackets 01 are held together by means of the rod 1 with tightening-nuts and a distance-piece (gas-pipe) (1 Fig. 5, between them, and this rod (i and distance-piece d are also provided to support the bed-bottom, as hereinafter described, at the foot end of the bedstead. At the head end of the bedstead are also arranged brackets d, held to the posts a by means of clamps d and dowels (1 which brackets d are held together also by a rod with tightening-nuts and distance-piece d, similarto the arrangement made at the foot end of the bedstead; but at this end the brackets and distance-rod d are arranged higher than at the foot end, for a purpose to be described.

The bed-bottom proper, E,consists of woven or other straps e of a width that from six to nine straps will form the width of a bottom. These straps are laced together, as shown in Fig. 2, to flexibly hold the edges of the adjacent straps together,without, however, tying them to each other, so that if one or more straps are weighted the adjacent ones will not be disturbed or affected by the said weighted strap or straps. Each of these straps eis provided at one end with a loop 6', slipped over the distance-piece d at the foot end of the bedstead, and the other end is brought over flanged wood rollers f, loosely mounted on the distance-piece d at the head end of the bedstead, as particularly shown in Fig. 3. At

' this end the straps are provided with springs f whose lower straight extremities f are threaded and inserted through apertures in the angle a between the posts a, where they are held by means of hand-nuts f Fig. 3, and by which the tension of each individual strap 6 is adjusted.

To form the head-rest in the bed-bottom, a cross-bar g is detachably secured to the longitudinal pieces I), as shown in Figs. land 3, and halters g are slipped over or fastened in any convenient manner to each of the said straps e. These halters g are provided with buckle-straps g to hold theindividual straps e in such a position as to form asuitable head rest E, the buckles g being of course provided to tighten or slacken one or the other of the straps e in order to have a uniform and even head-rest. The springs f in connection with the hand screws f however, serve to give the proper tension to each individual strap, as before described.

From the foregoing description and the drawings it will be seen that my improved bed-bottom is of simple construction, easily applied to any bedstead, and affords no resting or breeding places for vermin or bugs of any kind. The bed-bottom proper may be detached easily-,Washed, or otherwise cleaned and put into place again very readily, and therefore it is a bed-bottom which has all the properties hygienal purposes can claim. It is, however, understood that modifications in the construction of the different parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A bed-bottom composed of a number of straps laced together, a rod on the foot end of the bedstead and a rod at a higher elevation at the head end of the same, and on which the bed-bottom is supported, a crossbar near the head end of the bedstead and a buckle-strap connecting each of said bottom straps with said cross-bar to form a head-rest on said bottom, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A bed-bottom composed of a number of straps laced together, a rod secured at the foot end of the bedstead and on which one end of the said straps are attached, another rod having flanged rollers mounted at the head end of said bedstead and over which the other ends of the straps are passed, a cross-piece thereat, a spring for each of the said straps, straight and threaded extremities on said springs, apertures in said cross-piece through which the said extremities of the springs are passed and hand-nuts threaded onto the said extremities by which the tension of each strap may be adjusted, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A bed-bottom composed of a number of straps laced together, a rod secured at the foot end of a bedstead on which one end of the said straps are attached, another rod having flanged rollers mounted at the head end at a higher elevation than the rod at the foot end of said bedstead, a cross-piece thereat, a springfor each of the said straps, which latter lead over the said rollers, straight and threaded extremities on said springs, apertures in said cross-piece through which the said extremities are passed and hand-n uts for adjusting the tension of the said straps, a cross-bar near the head end of the said bedstead and buckle-straps attached to said bedbottom straps and said cross-bar for forming a head-rest on said bed-bottom, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. RICHARD SCHMIDT. Witnesses:

OLIVER S. KEELY, HERMANN BoRMANN. 

